Don Christie – founder of Catalyst IT and a leading New Zealand expert on open source software – said he was disappointed with the proposed effects for the technology industry under TPP at today’s stakeholder meeting in Auckland.

“TPP is a big missed opportunity” said Christie citing an independent report out of the UK (available for download below) which called on the government to use hard facts instead of succumbing to lobbyists when making decisions on intellectual property.

Christie described technology under TPP as ”a 19th century land grab” as restrictionist intellectual property laws backed by the US would invite a range of “unintended side effects” on a number of industries.

An evidence based IP regime was required said Christie, who challenged negotiators to “put a value on the suppression of innovation in New Zealand”.